Button Eyes
by ZeCheeseCake
Summary: When summer begins, Tina visits her Father and Step-mother, Mary at the Pink Palace in Ashland, Oregon. At first, everything seems to go well. Mary serves wonderful food; Tina adores their seven year old son, Joseph. And, she feels like she belongs for once ever since her Father left her real mother. But, when Tina meets a new friend, her life begins to change- in a horrific way.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

**(Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Thanks for clicking on my first fanfiction about Coraline! Yes, there will be very little mentioning about Coraline and the canon characters. I'm very sorry about that. However, I hope you still enjoy my story anyway!)**

* * *

**_Inside was musty, crowded. I could barely move as I occasionally crossed the narrow path to the bathroom. The four hour ride on the plane was dreadful, and I was pretty sure that I wasn't the only one who thought of it that way. _**

**_A few days ago, my Mother told me that she and her boyfriend would be going on a business trip. Usually, I was pretty upset every time my affectionate small family would leave for almost a month on a trip, but this time I wasn't. _**

**_At the end of summer, I knew that I was going to Ashland, Oregon to visit my Dad and his second wife, Mary. I was elated, but also nervous at the same time. During the entire time of packing up and rushing to the airport, my stomach felt queasy with uneasiness. What if my Dad forgot about me? What if Mary doesn't like me? Who knows if their son could be a spoiled brat or not? So many negative questions bubbled in my head that I was asked by someone behind me if I was scared. _**

**_Turning around, I shook my head, laughing nervously. That was very childish of me. I was twelve, and I couldn't be acting like a five year old anymore. _**

**_I knew now that by getting a kiss on the cheek from mother meant that this was the last time that I would be seeing her until August. Eighty Six whole days to spend time with my Dad before school would start again. What will I be doing with Father? Will there be any games there? _**

**_The ride on the plane was uncomfortable- with three flight delays due to severe thunderstorms, and a fat woman who wouldn't stop complaining about the old couple seated behind her. I immediately regretted it when I said that riding on Airplanes would be awesome. Apparently, a four hour trip from Dallas to Oregon isn't as easy as I'd hoped. _**

**_Finally, the Plane landed. My chest felt tight, and my heart slowly sunk into my stomach as the giant machine landed on the slick road with a jerk._**

* * *

**_Soon enough, I was inside of the airport, having to go through yet another hour of securing my stuff, making sure that I wasn't hiding bombs or ten thousand dollars cash. As I dragged my things around the airport, my eyes caught sight of a slender, but familiar figure. He was wearing a trench coat, along with a large hat that somehow fit well on his matted head. _**

**_Freckles speckled under the sunlight all over his face, and his blue eyes gleamed with jubilance as I ran to him. "Daddy!" I exclaimed, embracing in his warm hugs. _**

**_I clenched my eyes shut as Dad spun me around. But, I didn't care, even if people were staring at us at the moment. _**

**_After putting me down, Dad decided to rub my head. _**

**_"How's my chest nut Tina doing?" He teased, rummaging through my chest-nut colored hair. I rolled my eyes and punched him softly on the shoulder. _**

**_"I guess I'm fine." I said, "But I'm starving!" _**

**_"Well, how about I take you to something to eat on the way home?" Dad suggested, kneeling down to me._**

**_ I giggled, and then nodded. Dad grabbed my hand for the first time for six years. At first, I tensed, feeling uncomfortable about holding his hand. Then, I relaxed when I realized who I was talking to. _**

**_Dad walked me to his black SUV, talking about the events that we were going to do this summer. However, I was so wrapped up in my mind that I wasn't even paying attention to what he was saying. As soon as I hauled myself into the backseat of the truck, I realized that my adventurous summer was only beginning._**

**_I gazed out of the window as Dad steered the wheel across the highway. Gray clouds from an earlier rain storm hovered over another area far away. The rest of the sky was blue, with white puffy clouds scuttling across the air. The roads were wet, and Dad and I had to go through some traffic. _**

**_I turned towards Dad, who was concentrating intently on the road. "Where are Mary and Joseph?" I asked. _**

**_"They're at home." Dad replied, never taking his eyes off the road. "Mary's preparing for a very special dinner. She's very talented! You will like her a lot. She's beautiful, a great mother… "She even has a talent of singing! I tried convincing her to become a singer at Hollywood, but she says that…" _**

**_I frowned at the way Dad talked about Mary. They were married, but it made me feel uncomfortable- even a little sick to that subject. When I was three, Mom and Dad went through a rough divorce. Actually, it wasn't a divorce, more like a spending time apart. During that time, he met Mary at the bar, and that was when they took off together, leaving me with my mom for eleven years._**

**_"Daddy, why are you leaving?" I always asked, but Dad never answered. What did I know? I was only a toddler then. _**

**_Soon, it was dusk. The clouds had burned into a bright shade of pink, slowly ascending into dark grey. The weatherman had predicted clear skies for the night and tomorrow; a perfect day to probably go swimming or something. _**

**_ For the entire drive, Dad went from lovey-dovey talk about Mary, to bragging about his six year old son. _**

**_"You will love him!" he said. "He's very sweet, with a cute little smile that reminds me just of you!"_**

**_By now, we were out in the country. The road was dark and gloomy without all of the crowds of noisy cars coming through. Although I liked it, it was eerily silent out on the road. My stomach wrenched all of a sudden. I wanted to get to that house- whatever it was called, just so I could go to sleep. _**

**_"You see that, Tina?" Dad snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked out of the window, and saw a huge glowing neon green sign that clearly read 'The Tasty Diner.' It was so bright that I had to cover my eyes with my hands for a few seconds before adjusting. _**

**_"That is where I usually eat on a Saturday night. They make the best seasoned fries in Oregon." Dad explained. _**

**_"How far is Ashland?" I asked, caring much less about the seasoned fries. _**

**_Dad checked his watch, and then glanced at me. "About a half an hour or so… If we're lucky" He replied, steering the car on the curving road. _**

**_As the car neared the Café, the building revealed itself. It was a simple glass building, with cars crowding around the lit up restaurant. A patio was displayed at the front yard, its lights beaming as if welcoming us. On the sign, there was a woman dressed in pink, along with a white apron and a hat, and she was holding a giant cheeseburger on top. _**

**_Dad opened the door for me and led me inside. A cold wind blew into me, sending a chill down my spine. It was a little quiet, except for the soft rock and roll music that echoed around the restaurant. _**

**_Four men were sitting at the counter, giving brief curious glances, but immediately went back to talking. A woman suddenly stood in front of us with a pen and notepad. Those were the only people that were there besides us. _**

**_"Welcome to The Tasty Diner, how may I serve you?" She greeted bluntly. _**

**_"My daughter and I will like a seat outside at the Patio." Dad said, smiling. _**

**_The hunched up lady took notes as if she was documenting our lives, staring at me the entire time. _**

**_"Okay, you can sit outside at the Patio. I will get a Waiter…" The old lady mumbled, gesturing us outside._**

**_I was looking at the Menu, my brown eyes wandering at the various types of food. I put the menu down after deciding what I wanted and stared at my Dad. This will probably be the last time where I would be spending alone time with him.  
"So Dad," I began, "What is Pink Palace like?" _**

**_Dad placed his menu down and looked at me. "Pink Palace is actually an apartment, a huge one indeed. My family and I live down the Basement._**

**_"No one else currently a life at Pink Palace except for the Landlady- She's a Crabby one, but has a soft side for children- if you don't get on her bad side." He laughed at his own joke. However, I didn't even grin. _**

**_"Usually, it's cloudy in winter, but there's also plenty of sunshine in the summer." Dad continued. _**

**_"That's good." I added. Dad nodded in agreement._**

**_Then, I remembered someone telling me earlier on the plane about the Pink Palace. _**

**_"Dad, do you believe in ghosts?" I asked. _**

**_"What makes you think I believe in that non-sense?" _**

**_I frowned at Dad's firm answer. I guess I would take it as a no. But, I continued._**

**_"Well, someone from Oregon told me that there is a ghost that haunts Pink Palace Apartments." I explained. _**

**_Dad's eyes furrowed that face he made every time something was wrong. _**

**_"And, who told you that, exactly?" Dad asked. _**

**_I shrugged. "I don't know." _**

**_Although I could tell that Dad had relaxed, his eyes narrowed. "All that my wife and I know is that this house had been isolated for more than twenty years, except for the Landlady." Dad explained. "We rented the basement, where Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, two retired actresses, lived before they died." _**

**_I grimaced at the thought of their deaths. Were they murdered? Perhaps eaten? When Dad noticed, he rolled his eyes and said, "Calm down, Tina. They died of natural causes. There's nothing to worry about." I nodded my head, slowly relaxing._**

* * *

**_After eating a cheeseburger, along with a huge bowl of seasoned fries, Dad and I were back on the road again._**

**_I closed my eyes just so I wouldn't see the darkness ahead of us. I thought about what the Pink Palace apartments would look like. I imagined a pink brick building with three floors and a basement, a Crabby old lady living on the roof while we lived down the basement. To be honest, I cringed at the thought. I didn't like the idea of living at some pink crammed apartment while some landlady tries to falsely collect our money. _**

**_I opened my eyes, and nearly gasped. Right in front of me, a huge white claw waned over the horizon. Stars twinkled in the sky brighter than it ever did back in Dallas. Trees stood out black as night against the moonlight. My mouth gaped open at such a wonderful sight. When Dad noticed, he nudged me, telling me it was always like this on a clear night. _**

**_I watched the hills loop and disappear, revealing of what seemed to be a large mansion. As the vehicle neared it, the house seemed to grow bigger every second. Finally, when we reached the bottom of the hill, my mouth gaped wider in awe. On the old wooden sign, which was marked by mold, it read 'Pink Palace Apartments.' Standing on top of a small, marshy hill was a humongous mansion. Most of was colored pink, along with pastel white borders, which was tarnished over by black mold, and overgrowing vines and plants. It was at least three floors high, with a castle-like roof that pointed high up at the sky. The only thing that was totally out of place was the stairs, which led straight up to the third floor. _**

**_I gulped uneasily as I saw a woman in the distance. She was wearing sandals, a T-shirt, and shorts that went all the way below her knees. Her long black hair was tied to a ponytail, and her green eyes glinted with excitement as the car pulled into a stop. Standing beside her was a kid, very short. He was about six years old or so, and he held the biggest smile. Like me, he had chestnut hair, but it seemed as if he got his pale skin and green eyes from his mother. I immediately knew who these people were- Mary and Joseph._**

**_The thing was, Mary looked oddly familiar. It was as if I'd seen her many times before. As I climbed out of the truck, Mary walked towards me with a smile on her face, saying, "Tina! I missed you so much!"_**

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**_(A/N: Here you go! My very first chapter. I really hope you liked it, and looking foward to more chapters (:) _**


	2. Chapter 2

I stared at Mary in shock. She missed me? What did she mean by that? I stared cock-eyed at her as if she told me a corny joke that didn't make sense. "Do I… Know you?" I slowly asked, studying her carefully.

Mary frowned at my question. "Of course you knew me! You probably don't remember, but I was your sitter when you were only two years old." She explained. "You were such a fun little kid. Hardly ever disobeyed me..."

Soon, I was fading from our awkward conversation. I was just about to go inside when suddenly; I felt a tug on my jeans. I looked down and saw a boy with chestnut hair, a pale face, and glowering green eyes, which glinted with curiosity.

"Hello!" I greeted, kneeling down until I reached his height. I allowed my half-brother to stroke my hair for a few seconds. Then, he smiled.

"I'm Joseph…"He said shyly, blushing despite the warm air.

I shook his hand, saying, "I'm Tina, your half-sister. Would you like to show me your house?" Joseph's face brightened when I asked the question.

Without saying another word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to his apartment- which was the basement.

Joseph and I had to stride down the steps carefully, for it was slick, and if I made the wrong step I was screwed. As we reached the bottom, I took one last glance at the glistening sky and the front porch until I was dragged inside. The door closed with a 'thud' right behind me.

My eyes wandering around the living room, I followed Joseph through the underground apartment. On the walls, vibrant colored beads filled the bricks, glistening under the dim light. The rug was a deep red, and the couches looked like they came from antique stores, along with some wooden nightstands, dim-lit lamps, and the occasional porcelain dolls. I furrowed my brows warily at the sight, and shuddered. It felt like I was standing right in a Voodoo shop.

Not wanting to keep my half-brother waiting, I caught with him; the first thing we entered was the kitchen. It was small, yet formal. A glossy red oven stood below the furnace, a shiny silver sink was organized neatly above the drawers and desks. A coffee maker was plugged in, and a small wooden table stood in the middle, where I assumed that this was where the family ate. Not to mention, but I nearly gasped when I caught sight of a bunch of paper men hanging just below the ceiling.

'This apartment just keeps getting stranger by the second!' I thought to myself, catching a whiff of casserole from the oven. I grinned at the delightful scent as I recognized my favorite type of casserole, pasta.

Turning around, I quickly raced to Joseph before he noticed that I was falling behind.

* * *

"This is Mommy and Daddy's room." Joseph said, pointing at the dim room where a king-sized bed was standing. It was very simple and dark too. I felt a little lonely just staring at it, so I backed away.

Next, he led me to another room, which we would be sharing. It was much bigger than the master bedroom. A bunk bed sat right next to a window, which somehow managed to gaze at the brightening moon.

Toys were scattered messily everywhere in the wooden room. I cringed a little at the sight. Back at my house, it was never messy. It was always clean, glossy, and held a formal appearance. I was so used to it, that I became very fond of it. This time, I had to dread living every day in a colorful mess- at least for the entire summer.

"You can unpack your stuff here." Joseph spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts. "Thank you." I said, bowing my head. As I closed the door behind me, I smiled at Joseph's personality. But also, I felt a little bad for misjudging my brother as a spoiled brat.

I slammed my bag down and pulled out everything I'd packed for the trip- clothes, accessories, and little knick-knacks. After a half an hour or so of cleaning up the room, and another fifteen minutes of organizing up the place, I heard Mary's voice calling as if right on cue.

Quickly, I ran to the small kitchen, my feet thudding against the rug that covered the hard floor.

When I entered the kitchen, there sat Joseph, Mary, and Dad. An empty seat was sitting right next to Dad. As if it was calling me, I sat in the set and smiled sheepishly.

That night, we had Pasta Casserole, along with corn and orange juice to wash the stuffing down.

Joseph had pounded me with certain questions, some I couldn't even answer.

"Where are you from?"

"What's your other Mommy's name?"

"Do you have a Teddy Bear? I do."

"How old are you?"

My half-brother had asked me so many questions that I haven't the chance to talk to Dad without being interrupted.

Finally, after escorting a reluctant Joseph to bed, Mary came back and sat in her seat next to Dad. Having a chance to speak to them, we talked about many things, such as my education, my relationship with my friends, and my stay so far.

* * *

Sooner than we thought, it was time to go to bed. Kissing me goodnight, Dad held Mary's hand and they both went to their rooms together, closing the door behind them. Sighing, I scooped up the dirty dishes from the table and washed them clean; not something that a guest would do. After putting the last dish in the dish washer, I smiled with pride at the fact that I'd helped around the house and went to my- I mean, Joseph's room.

When I entered I gasped. Sitting right on Joseph's bottom bunk was a skinny, scraggly black cat with piercing blue eyes.

I narrowed my eyes in confusion. Where did this cat come from? As I neared it with my hand raised, the Cat freakishly cocked its head as if curious of me. I grimaced, my body tensing. Was he reading my mind? Or was thinking about pouncing on me?

Then, as I reached my hand out, the cat tensed up before letting out a soft hiss, then leaping out of the bed and sprinting out of the room.

"Wait!" I called out softly, chasing after the black cat. This guy was fast and slick. He dodged every object in the house as if he'd been here many times. I, however, had trouble avoiding the bright little beets that hung from the ceiling.

Finally, I untangled myself from the colorful heap and ran up the stairs, where it led me to the outside world. The air was somehow much colder than earlier. The moon still shone brightly, staring down at me as if watching my every move.

I looked around frantically, trying to find the cat. But, it was so misty out there that I could only see less than five inches away. Sighing, I gave up, and went down the stairs, disappointed that I wouldn't be sleeping with the cat tonight. "Here, Kitty, Kitty!" I called out for the last time before walked down the steps, keeping an eye out at the woods ahead of me.

That night, the cat was fresh in my mind. Something was a little… off about it. Who was the cat? I thought. Who did it belong to? Closing my eyes, I pushed the cat away from my mind, sure that he was only a stray cat who had sneak in through some secret spot that I would never find.

* * *

That morning, I didn't wake up until ten O'clock, an unusual time for me to get up. I was still in my attire that I wore last night, and my chest nut hair fuzzed out like T.V static. I sat at the table, quiet, watching Mary batching up Egg Tacos.

Setting the meal on the table, she said, "Well, you're up early."

I eyed her with confusion. This was early? "What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Oh, we always wake up late in the summer. This is only our second day, so you might have to get used to it!" She explained cheerfully, sitting across from me and eating her own breakfast.

Suddenly, the creepy cat came into my mind. _I could probably_ _ask Mary. She would know._ I thought.

Turning towards my step-mom, I watched her for a few short minutes as she ate. Her perfectly combed Blonde hair glowed under the kitchen light, and her blue eyes wandered in a newspaper that she'd picked up.

I cleared my throat, catching Mary's attention.

"There was a cat in Joseph's room last night," I began. "I tried to pet it, but it ran outside, so I ran up the stairs and called for it. However, he never came back, so I had to go inside." "Do you know anyone who owns a cat like that?" I asked.

Mary shook her head a little too quickly, and her face grew paler. "No." she croaked. "There is no cat in the Pink Palace Apartments. You must have been dreaming." With that, she snatched her plate off of the table swiftly, rinsed it in the sink, and walked to her room, slamming the door behind her.

I grimaced, feeling a little hurt that Mary had left me all alone in the dining room. However, a question came into mind; _why was she denying that a cat lived here? Was she lying, in order to hide whatever secret it was? _

I shook my head in response. My step-mom wouldn't lie to me, would she?


End file.
